Tag: auction

Happy Wednesday, friends! For Americana Week, many US auction houses will be presenting incredible items that highlight the craftsmanship and decorating aesthetic of Americans. One of my favorite auction houses, Freeman’s, doesn’t have any auctions scheduled during Americana week this year. So, the last auction house that I will be considering is Doyle Auctions.

Doyle auctions will have only one live, in-person auction event during Americana Week. Doyle at Home won’t have any items that are distinctly Americana-themed, but the luxurious items that are being offered may be of interest to a variety of collectors, including those that specialize in collecting Americana. The sale occurs on January 16, 2019 at 10 a.m. EST.

With nearly 500 lots for sale, selecting just one item out of the group was challenging. But I found myself irresistibly drawn to this painting by Porfirio DiDonna. The untitled painting comes from later in DiDonna’s career. It has more curvature, less symmetry, and less precision than his earlier works. I love how the neutral colors appear to dance against the cool grey background. I may bid on this painting, considering how affordably priced it is. This one has an estimated value between $150 – $250.

Untitled, 1984, Porfirio Di Donna (1942-1986)

Instead of planning all of the Americana events to occur during the week of January 13th through the 19, Doyle has wisely opened an Americana-themed, online-only auction to start on January 18th. This allows them to keep the Americana theme going even after the week has concluded.

Americana from the Library of Arnold ‘Jake’ Johnson should be an interesting sale but, unfortunately, I can only view one lot from this collection. For that reason, I can’t recommend my favorite item. However, this sale will still be worth checking out: after all, it’s the last Americana-themed sale for the month.

That concludes my review of Americana week at some of the most popular auction houses in the US. Did you see any items from the previous auctions that you found interesting? Let me know in the comments below I’d love to hear about it!

My review of Americana week continues with an overview of Sotheby’s Auctions. Sotheby’s will feature only two options during Americana week, but there’s no mistake that they are still bringing high quality offerings during the week. The Americana-themed auctions featured by Sotheby’s will include an extensive auction of items owned by Nelson and Happy Rockefeller as well as a luxury car event in Phoenix, AZ.

A Collecting Legacy: Property from the Collection of Nelson & Happy Rockefeller Brings the personal collections of the Rockefellers to Sotheby’s auctions. The auction is happening at 10 a.m. EST on January 18th in New York. This collection is a delightful mashup of Chinese, Japanese, and English house goods. The Rockefeller collection gives us a rare glimpse into the luxurious lifestyle of one of America’s wealthiest families. There’s so many awesome pieces in this collection, including an extensive menagerie of items from China’s Qing dynasty. These items, along with the collection of George I, George II, and George III housewares, let us see the Personal Taste of Nelson and Happy Rockefeller.

This auction has over 200 items, so selecting my favorites was quite difficult. I was enchanted by the Federal Brass Mounted and Englomise Panel Inset Mahogany Banjo Clock. This charming clock has vividly painted insets which will easily drawn you in. I love the uniqueness of it; no one creates things like this anymore. This is an item that, if purchased, would easily steal the show in any room where it’s placed. I’m positive that it will go for more than the estimated price of $300 to $500.

Another item that I adored was the set of Eight Portuguese Ormolu Candlesticks in Louis XV Style. These items are French-inspired, which is unique for the Rockefeller collection (which doesn’t feature many French items, overall). I loved that these candlestick holders reminded me of Lumiere from the movie Beauty and the Beast. There are ornate and elegant: the styling of them even looks like Lumiere dancing! This set is estimated to be worth between $1,200 and $1,800, however, I’m not certain what this will fetch at auction.

Portuguese Ormolu Candlesticks in Louis XV Style

The true star of Americana week at Sotheby’s will be the RM Sotheby’s Auction in Phoenix, AZ. This event, stretching over January 17th and 18th, will feature luxury cars from the 20th century, as well as car inspired art. Only Sotheby’s could effortlessly blend art and automobiles this way.

There are so many gorgeous cars that’ll be featured in this auction that selecting just one to mention seemed almost criminal. But, I did find one gorgeous vehicle that I would love to own one day. The 1954 Kaiser-Darrin Roadster is the kind of car you fantasize about as a child. It’s gorgeous pale blue color with sleek lines and classic styling. It is truly a gem. The lucky collector that gets this one can expect to spend well into the six figures; this one could go between $140,000 and $180,000. However, because this is a truly rare vehicle, who knows how frenzied the bidding will get?

1954 Kaiser-Darrin Roadster

I can’t emphasize enough how great these auctions will be. And if you get a chance to attend either, I encourage you to go, enjoy, and take in all of the gorgeous Americana.

That’s all for today please make sure to click on the link so that you can see the beautiful items that are going to be going up for sale for yourself. Talk to you all tomorrow!

Americans have a long-standing love affair with automobiles, so it makes sense that cars would factor into Americana Week. As a side note, only two of the auction houses that I am profiling will be selling luxury vehicles this week. Bonhams, of course is one of them; however, Sotheby’s will also be getting in on the luxury automobile action. Despite still being Americana-themed, many of the cars at the Scottsdale sales, will be foreign-made cars such as Mercedes, Maserati, Lamborghinis, Porsches and so on. The truth is, Americans love all cars – including foreign ones!

My favorite lot in this auction is the 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce, a sleek, stylish car that looks like it was made for me. The plush red interior, clean lines, and, as Bonhams puts it, “nimble handling”, all sound like the perfect features for my future sports car. This beauty could fetch up to $130,000 at auction though, as lovely as this restored vehicle is, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s sold for more. However, if any of you are wondering whether you should get this for me, the answer is yes and thank you in advance!

My future car

I kid, I kid. However if you are interested in this car or some of the other beauties that will be at the Scottsdale auction, make sure to check out Bonhams. They have wonderful offerings for this auction: so many gorgeous sport cars, so little time to enjoy them all!

Have a happy Friday, friends! I’ll be back on Monday. Enjoy your weekend!

In preparation for Americana Week, I did some research on what typically can be found in Americana art. What I found is that there are a lot of items that capture American history and culture, and no, every Americana item doesn’t feature the American flag (or other patriotic themes) or pictures of rural Midwest life, though these two themes are prominent.

Christie’s Auction will be featuring Americana that doesn’t fit neatly into the above mentioned themes, but still has a strongly American aesthetic. The featured auctions will be held in New York, January 16 – 18. There are four auctions that will feature Americana art and highlight some of the jewels that were produced and collected over the past 400 years.

The first auction is Little Cassiobury: The Collection of Susan Lyall, to be held on January 16 at 10 AM EST. The items were formerly owned by Susan Lyall, a garden furniture designer and philanthropist. The collection has over 200 items from Lyall’s personal collection of art and furniture.

My favorite piece from this collection is the William IV brass lantern. Despite being nearly 200 years old, this lantern would still be a charming addition to a lot of different decorative themes.

William IV Brass Lantern (circa 1835)

Next up is the Chinese Export Art Featuring the Hodroff Collection Part IV. This auction is scheduled for January 17 at 10 AM EST. The items are Chinese in origin but, as you can tell, the fascination with Asian art is distinctly American, to the point where Chinese art can be featured during an Americana-focused auction and it makes sense to knowledgeable collectors! Many American families have extensive Asian art collections and the Hodroffs were no exception: Leo and Doris Hodroff’s collection is featured in multiple museums across the US.

My favorite lot from this auction is A Famille Rose Mancerina. I’d never heard of a mancerina before, but after seeing this beauty, I knew I had to know more. Mancerinas are serving trays designed to hold a container of chocolate. The ornate well in the center is where the chocolate container would have been placed. This isn’t a common household item now, but imagine how nice it would be to own something this historical and charming. It could fetch upwards of $2,500, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it went for much more than that.

A Famille Rose Mancerina (Qianlong Period, circa 1770-1780)

The next auction is spread out over two days – January 17 and 18, at 3 PM and 2 PM EST respectively. The largest of Christie’s Americana auctions, Important American Furniture, Folk Art, Silver and Prints will bring nearly 300 lots to the public. This collection has a plethora of exquisite household items, so it may take you a while to go through all of the offerings.

However, after looking through the entire collection, I kept finding myself returning to look at the American Silver Fruit Bowl. This piece, from Tiffany & Co., has mesmerizing filigree and finely depicted vines, leaves and raspberries. I was surprised to see the estimate go up to only $3,500: I anticipate this one will sell for less, but likely not by much.

American Silver Fruit Bowl (Mark of William Gale for Tiffany & Co., New York, circa 1860)

The final auction is Outsider and Vernacular Art on January 18 at 10 AM. This auction will feature art with a folksy touch and distinctly American themes. The art reflects different movements, periods of time, and various media. There are also pieces by living artists included in this sale, so there is an opportunity for novice collectors to purchase works when the prices are less prohibitive.

I found myself completely enchanted by Portrait of a Young Girl, 1950s by Morton Bartlett. I’m unsure who the model was for this work, but her facial structure and complexion reminded me of a young girl I know that has albinism. This painting made me think about the albinos in different African countries who have had to flee for their lives for fear of being hunted for their limbs (in Tanzania and Malawi specifically, albinos are fiercely targeted). I’d rather not go into detail about the human rights travesty happening to Africans with albinism, but I couldn’t help but think of them when I saw this painting. The high estimate of this is $8,000, and, if I had the resources available right now, I’d certainly bid on this beauty.

Portrait of a Young Girl, 1950s by Morton Bartlett (1909 – 1992)

That’s my quick overview of the Christie’s Americana auctions. You can check out the lots by clicking any of the hyperlinks above, and see what items interest you. If you find something that you love, let me know in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll talk to you all tomorrow!

Happy Friday, friends! Well, we’re near the end of December again, so that means that most of our favorite auction houses – Christies, Sotheby’s, Bonhams, Freeman’s and Doyle – are on break until January. However, the previews for the upcoming January 2019 auctions are up, and the offerings are VERY tempting.

The week of January 13 to 19 is Americana Week, and the participating auction houses are offering some of their best Americana collections, including belongings cherished by Nelson and Happy Rockefeller. Alongside Americana Week, Arizona will be hosting luxury car auctions in both Phoenix and neighboring Scottsdale. January is shaping up to be an exciting month in the auction world, and I’m looking forward to share my personal picks from each of the major auctions.

Admittedly, Americana Week doesn’t hold the same sway that it did in previous years. This article by Madelia Hickman Ring over on Antiques and the Arts Weekly discusses the evolving nature of selling and promoting Americana. I think that this shift in collecting interest is reflective of globalization and the idolization of anything “exotic” and foreign, amongst other things. However, that’s not the point of this post: the point is, there is ART being auctioned, and I’m going to comb through the lots and show you all what caught my eye in upcoming posts.

I’m no art expert, but I’m anticipating that Christie’s upcoming “Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale” auction will be the topic of discussion for many art connoisseurs in the weeks and months to come. The auction will be held on November 11 at 7 PM EST at Christie’s New York.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Portrait de Mademoiselle Yvonne Lerolle

The sale doesn’t have an abundance of lots – only 61, at last count – but each piece is highly collectible. All of the artists featured are what most people think of when hearing the word “artist”: Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, Dali, etc.,. With these famous names on display, it’s no wonder that this auction doesn’t need many pieces to get a lot of buzz.

Tamara De Lempicka, Femme a la Colombe

The sale is part of 20th century art week and the offerings do not disappoint. Most of the lots will be sold of the 7-figure or higher price point. This auction is not particularly for newbie collectors: only serious connoisseurs will be bidding here. However, I think that viewing the art would be a great education for anyone that wants to know more about some of the more famous names in art.

Vincent Van Gogh, Coin de jardin avec papillons

I’m fascinated by the fact that the auction will feature Picasso paintings of each of his most famous muses: Francoise Gilot, Marie-Therese Walter, and Dora Maar. Also, the painting by Vincent Van Gogh that will be sold is a true treasure: I know that will make some collector very happy. There really are too many good items to post them all in this post, so make sure that you check out Christie’s online catalog.

I won’t be able to make the trip to New York to see these works in person, but I’m including in this post some of my favorites from the auction. Enjoy and, if you can swing by Christie’s, go check out these treasures in person!

I generally avoid going anywhere north of Washington, DC from the months of November to April (I hate the cold) but I may put my usual protocol aside to do this trip. Besides, I loved the Philadelphia Museum of Art and a return trip would be awesome.

As far as the auction goes, I liked a few pieces in the catalog but I wasn’t struck by any lot in particular. However, I was much more impressed when I checked out the full list of jewelry on the Freeman’s website. My favorite is this wheat stalk brooch. It’s 18 karat gold, simple but unique. How many wheat brooches have you seen recently? Exactly. I’m sure there are only, like, 2 of them in existence. And I’d love to own this one.

This gold pillbox is also going to be auctioned by Freeman’s and it’s so beautiful and vintage: I can’t stand it! It’s also 18 karat gold and has a Greek key-like pattern on the outer edge, and concentric circles on the top. No one has elegant holders for their pills anymore: how lovely is this?

The Freeman’s Fine Jewelry Auction will be held on November 6, 2018 in Philadelphia, PA at 12PM EST. I may be there, so if you decide to make the trip, make sure that you say hello if you see me!